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[RC] What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate........... - Bruce WearyI will contribute here a couple bits of wisdom I picked up over the years that seem to stand the test of time regarding communication. I take no credit for them, other than paying attention when they showed up. First, one of the reasons communication is difficult is because our messages to one another are easily and quickly mutated into something other than what we meant. Goes like this: There is the message we intend in our mind, the message we convey (spoken or written), the message others hear (or read) and the message they understand. Each time the message goes through each of these steps, meanings can be added, dropped or distorted, based on the experiences and biases of the people involved. Sometimes I think I can communicate better with my dog than I can with some people. I can think "fetch," I can then say "fetch," he will hear "fetch," and he will then go fetch. Not so easy with humans.Secondly, I heard an analogy about an auto accident wherin a car struck a pedestrian. In addition to the presence of the driver and the stricken pedestrian, there were several others who witnessed the scene: the victim's mother, the victim's worst enemy, the crowd of onlookers, and the paramedics. A television crew arrived, and began interviewing these people and asked each of them to sum up how the accident made them feel. Their answers: The Victim's Mother: "Hysterical." The Victim's Worst Enemy: "Gratified................and then ashamed." The Onlookers: "Curious," "Nauseated," "Relieved/Thankful it wasn't me." The Paramedics: "Purposeful." The Driver: "Horrified." The Victim: "Terrified." Each person probably felt they were giving an accurate report regarding the impact of the accident. What struck me was the fact that "the accident doesn't really care." Each person assigned his own meaning and derived his own impression based on who he/she was, his/her prior experiences, beliefs, biases, weaknesses/strengths, etc.,. They then assumed that their impressions were not only accurate, they were fact. This kind of thinking gets us all in trouble from time to time. I am one of the worst. Dr Q, "Embarrassed." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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